Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
floods that so characterize its environment. Unlike the Kirtland's warbler and other habitat
specialists, the greater one-horned rhino is heavily persecuted for its body parts and comes in-
to conflict with villagers, and without protection its stomping grounds would soon be usurped
by poor farmers looking for this last available piece of rice paddy. Yet, despite all these con-
straints, the species thrives if given a bit of protection. In fact, the same is true for virtually
all large mammals, even those that reach maturity after a long adolescence and that have only
one offspring at a time, long gestations, and multiyear interbirth intervals. Whether they are
habitat specialists, like the greater one-horned rhino, or habitat generalists, like the African
elephant, one aspect rises above all others in a shared conservation strategy: protect the fe-
males and let them breed and live to an old age, and recovery happens much faster than even
the cynics could ever imagine.
We must up the ante if we are to recover these tough creatures, who would just as soon
trample those who try to save them as those who poach them for their horn. Beyond rhinos,
there are the stalking tigers, the grizzlies digging for tubers, the lions lounging under the aca-
cias—all of these species remain unaware of our efforts on their behalf and sometimes see us
more as prey than protectors. It is yet another sign of the cultural evolution of our own spe-
cies that we can reconcile the conservation of species that we fear most and create sanctuaries
where they can thrive.
There is a spiritual dimension to rarity, too, I believe, hiding there in the elephant grass,
in the acacia savannas, or in the grizzly range. The presence of large, potentially dangerous
mammals connects us to something deep and primal and teaches us humility in a way that is
unique and precious. We must not lose it. Wild species that leave footprints larger than our
own are now among the rarest of all mammals. Places where they still dominate the land-
scape must be part of the legacy we bequeath to future generations.
